Jennifer Rankin
Community Pillars
Jennifer Rankin is one of the new generation of Indigenous Peoples who is making a difference in her community both locally and nationally by striving to improve the well being of Indigenous Peoples.
Jennifer is a member of Batchewana First Nation and has lived in Ottawa her entire life. She completed her BA in Indigenous Studies at the University of Ottawa and has over 10 years of experience working with various national Indigenous organizations in the field of health, research and advocacy.
She has been working with the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) – which serves the Urban Indigenous Peoples – for over 9 years managing the administration of the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples Program which provides core funding to NAFC Provincial and Territorial Associations and Friendship Centres across the country.
Over the last 5 years, Jennifer has grown from the Acting Program Manager to Program Manager and, now, to the Senior Director. In her new capacity, she provides support to the CEO to coordinate the NAFC departments, oversee activities, and directly manage its administration, communications, and data initiatives. Through her leadership support, the NAFC has grown from 6 people to nearly 40 and its annual budget has increased to nearly 4 times its size. Jennifer is highly regarded by her peers, her staff, and NAFC partners.
Throughout her time with NAFC, Ms. Rankin has created the mechanisms and the processes to roll out millions of dollars to hundreds of communities that support hundreds of thousands of people in every region across the country, including in Ottawa. Her efforts have ensured that the NAFC maintains its positive reputation as a trusted community driven urban Indigenous civil society network.
Jennifer is also well regarded by the local Ottawa community and a champion of local institutions. She has done so with integrity and deep commitment to purpose and the mission to improve the well being of Indigenous Peoples.
